Umbrella tent.



No. 645,704. Patented Mar. 20, I900.

D. DUWN$.- UMBRELLA TENT. I (Application filed. ma 25, 1.899.}

3 V INVENTOR (No Model.)

WITNESSES RS co, PnoTouTuQ, wmmmou n c UNITED STATES PATENT OrFIcE.

DUNCAN DOWNS, or wnsr SUPER1OR,WISOONSIN.

UMBRELLA TENT SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,704,dated March 20, 1900.

- Application filed May25, 1899. Serial at. 718,173. (No model.)

Zo all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DUNCAN DowNs, a citizen of the United States,residing at West Superior, in the county of Douglas and State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and ribs in place, and means forraising or lowering the said sliding collar.

It also consists in a tent-pole provided with a double pulley near itstop, a sliding collar formed with radiating ears or lugs, ribs connectedto the said ears for supporting the canvas of the tent, a fixed collarmounted on the said tent-pole, and brace-rods supporting the said ribsin place, the construction being such that the tent can be easily raisedor lowered, as desired.

It also consists in certain other novel constructions, combinations, andarrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of atent constructed in accordance with my invention, the canvas beingbroken away andsome of the ribs removed. Fig. 2 represents a top planview of one of the eyes employed on the sliding collar, and Fig. 3represents a detail perspective View of one of the brace-brackets usedon the ribs. I

In using tents of this character it is desirable to have one which canbe easily set up and which will cover a large amount of space with a lowcanopy. My device presents these advantages and can be easily carriedfrom place to place. I

1 in the drawings represents a tent-pole, 2 a sliding collar, and 3 afixed collar, both mounted on the tent-pole.

The pole or mast 1 is made of any suitable material, set into the groundto such a depth as to enable it to be easily removed when desired, andis ofsuch a height as to project a considerable distance above thecanopy when spread. The pole 1 is provided near its top with a squaredaperture, inwhich is mounted a double pulley, as 1, said pulley beingpreferably mortised or otherwise secured in the said pole, as at 5. Eachmember of the double pulley 4 is preferably grooved for the reception ofa rope, as 6, which is used for a purpose as will be hereinafterdescribed.

The collar2 may be constructed of anysuitable material,preferably metal,and is adapt ed to slide upon the tent-pole 1, said collar beingprovided on its under side with a downwardly-extending thimble' portion,as 7, and

on one side ofits upper edge with an eye, as 8, and on the opposite sidewith a single block 9 and on its under side with a single block 10,pivoted to'an eye 11. Radiating ears, as 12, arranged in pairs, areformed on thesaid sliding collar 2, an attaching piece or eye 13 beingjournaled between each pair of ears. Each eye 13 is securely bolted orriveted to a canopy-rib, as 14, said ribs being curved and radiating inall directions from the tent-pole in order to support the canvas orcanopy 15. A preferable way of forming the attaching-pieces is by makingthe same from a piece'of fiat metal twisted so that its free end will bearranged vertical, as clearly seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings, saidvertical portion being formed with an aperture toreceive a bolt or rivetwhen it is placed between the ears on the sliding collar. On the outerends of the said ribs 14 are bolted or otherwise secured hooks 16 forthe purpose of securing guy-ropes thereto or hanging decorationsthereon, as may be required. The side Walls of the tent 17 may be hookedto the ribs 14 in any suitable manner at suitable distances from theedges of the canopy to allow liberal eaves. Secured to the ribs 1 1 at apoint a little beyond the center thereof are brace-brackets, as 18, towhich are journaled brace-rods, as 19, which support the ribs 14: whenthe canopy is spread. The said bracerods are provided at their innerends With eyes 20, which are journaled to radiating ears 21 on the fixedcollar 3, the construction being similar to that employed upon thesliding collar. The fixed collar 3 is mounted on the tent-pole 1 and isprovided with radiating cars 21 and on its upper edge with an eye 22.The location of the blocks or eyes on the collars may, if desired, bereversed or they may be diminished or increased in number, as founddesirable, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

A rope, as 23, is secured at one end to the said eye 22 and led throughthe single block 10 on the under side of the sliding collar. Then itpasses down the tent-pole and is secured to a cleat, as 24, secured tothe lower part of the pole or mast 1. Another rope, as 6, is secured atone end to the eye 8 on the sliding collar2 and then passes over onemember of the double pulley 4: to the single block 9 on the oppositeside of the collar 2 and then back over the other member of the doublepulley 4 down to a single block 26 near the bottom of the pole ormast 1. The end of the rope can be secured in place by winding it abouta cleat, as 27.

In order to spread the canvas after the tent-pole has been set into theground, it is only necessary to loosen the ropes 23 and 25 from thecleats and pull the rope 23, which brings the sliding collar down intoposition and spreads the ribs on which the canvas is secured. The ropesare then secured to the cleats again.

In order to fold or strike the the tent, the ropes are loosened and therope 6 is pulled, thereby drawing the sliding collar to its uppermostposition, and the fixed collar remaining in its position the ribs willbe folded to occupy a position similar to the ribs of a folded umbrella.The canvas may then be rolled around the pole to make a neat bundle andsecured. In this operation the side walls may or may not be removed, asfound desirable.

Partitions may be, if desired, hooked in any convenient manner to thecanopy-ribs and to the brace-rods or hooked over them, the anglepreventing sliding and keeping them spread.

It will be apparent from the above description that my device is of asimple yet strong and durable construction and that a large spread ofcanvas can be obtained with a low canopy and side walls, thereby savingmaterial and affording room. It will also be observed that the apparatuswill not be injured by the canopy-ribs striking the ground, as is thecase with other devices of this kind, and that high walls and a loftycanopy are not necessary, which reduces the cost of production. It willbe further observed that the operation of folding and unfolding is justthe reverse of that employed in any ordinary umbrella, the upper collarbeing moved in this instance instead of the lower one.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

Atent comprising in its construction a tentpole provided with a doublepulley near its top, an aperture in the said pole for the reception ofthe double pulley, an upper sliding collar mounted on the said pole andprovided with radiating ears or lugs, ribs con nected to the said earsfor supporting the canvas of the tent, hooks on the ends of the saidribs, a lower fixed collar mounted on the said tent-pole and providedwith radiating ears, brace-rods connected to the said ears forsupporting the ribs in place when the canvas is spread, brackets on thesaid ribs to which the brace-rods are pivotally secured, ropes securedto the upper" sliding collar on opposite sides of the tent-pole, forraising and lowering the said collar, and a pulley near the ground endof the tent-pole, whereby an upward pull may be exerted upon the ropesto raise the sliding collar, the construction being such that when theupper sliding collar is raisedto its uppermost position and secured insuch position by means of the cleats, the tent will be folded or closedand when the sliding collar is in its lowermost position, the tent willbe spread, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

DUNCAN DOWNS.

Witnesses:

JAMES T. WATSON, D. D. MoINNIs.

